Seat belt buckle

ABSTRACT

A seat belt improvement providing seat belt buckling assistance and automatic release of the seat belt. The seat belt assembly includes an electromagnet located in the seat belt buckle that aligns and draws the seat belt tongue into the seat belt buckle when the seat belt tongue is in close proximity to the seat belt buckle. The buckle may be formed with a funnel region adjacent its open end to assist in aligning the seat belt tongue with the opening of the housing and thereafter engaging the seat belt tongue with the latch mechanism. The buckle may additionally include a manual release element. The buckle may further include one or more illuminated areas to assist the passenger in visually locating the seat belt buckle and/or the manual release element.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/175,100, entitled SEAT BELT WITH MAGNETICALLY SEATED BUCKLEAND AUTOMATIC RELEASE, filed on Jul. 5, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No.7,178,208, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to seat belt device having a magneticmeans that assists in seat belt buckling and having an automatic seatbelt release.

2. Description of the Related Art

Vehicles are provided with seat belt assemblies that typically include ametal seat belt tongue that is received by a female portion or buckle ofthe assembly. The tongue is adjustably mounted on a fabric seat beltstrap. The seat belt buckle includes a body that houses a latchmechanism or catch. The seat belt tongue is received in a slot locatedin one end of the seat belt buckle. Once the tongue is seated in theseat belt buckle, the catch captures the tongue, locking the seat beltstrap portions in place across the seat occupant until the catch ismanually released.

The seat belt buckle is rigidly mounted on the inside edge of the driverand passenger seats, or within the rear seats. The seat belt straps aremounted on the opposite side of the seat occupant from the seat beltbuckle. One end of each of the seat belt straps is fixedly mountedwithin the vehicle while the opposite end may be mounted in a retractingwind-up assembly that allows the seat belt strap to be used and thenautomatically returned to an unused, storage position. In order to usethe seat belt, the seat occupant must reach across himself to grab theseat belt strap and must then pull the seat belt strap across himself,locate the seat belt buckle, and insert the seat belt tongue in the seatbelt buckle. To release the seat belt tongue from the buckle, a buttonlocated on the seat belt buckle is depressed. The seat belt tongue isreleased and the seat belt strap is returned to the unused, storageposition.

One common problem with conventional seat belt assemblies is that thetwisting movement required of the seat occupant when locating the seatbelt buckle and fastening the seat belt can be uncomfortable anddifficult depending on the size and physical condition of the occupant.This task proves difficult for some people in that the seat belt buckleis often rigidly mounted to the seat and tucked between the seat and acenter console, for example. Therefore, the seat belt buckle isdifficult and awkward to reach. Further, the aperture in the buckle isdifficult to locate and insert the seat belt tongue into. Buckling andreleasing the seat belt is therefore challenging for many persons.

Further problems exist with buckling a child's seat belt and securingchild safety seats. The seat belts are sometimes difficult to both latchand release because the operator must reach across the child occupant,or both the child and the safety seat, making the seat belt buckledifficult to locate, and making it difficult to reach and release theseat belt. In addition, with manually releasable seat belts, childrenmay be able to release their own seat belts while the vehicle is beingoperated, which is undesirable.

Prior art devices used to automatically buckle a seat belt assembly arecomplicated and potentially costly when installed in a vehicle. Oneprior art method of automatically buckling the seat belt includes asensor that detects when the seat belt tongue is in close proximity tothe seat belt buckle and then energizes a solenoid. The seat belt tongueis attracted by the solenoid to draw the tongue toward the slot formedin the seat belt buckle. As the tongue is drawn deeper into the seatbelt buckle, an ejector is pushed backward and a latch mechanism,operated by a motor, secures the tongue within the seat belt buckle. Inorder to release the tongue, a switch is operated to reverse therotation of the motor and release the latch mechanism. A spring biasesthe tongue out of the seat belt catch. In an alternative prior art seatbelt device, a solenoid is used to operate latch arms that engage anddraw the seat belt tongue into the seat belt buckle.

Releasing the seat belt tongue from the seat belt buckle may be asdifficult as latching the seat belt for a seat occupant. Prior artrelease mechanisms typically include springs that eject the seat belttongue from the seat belt buckle. In addition, automatic releasemechanisms are generally enabled only during an emergency situation suchas a vehicle collision.

It is desired to provide a seat belt device that assists with thebuckling of the seat belt and an automatic release mechanism to releasethe seat belt during typical use of a vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a seat belt improvement that providesassisted buckling of the seat belt as well as automatic release when thevehicle is in the “park” position. The female portion of the seat beltassembly, also called the seat belt buckle, has a relatively wide openthroat for reception of the seat belt tongue. The seat belt assemblyincludes an electromagnet located at the entry opening of the seat beltbuckle that aligns and draws the tongue of the seat belt into the seatbelt buckle until a catch captures the seat belt tongue. Theelectromagnet is energized by a switch, located in the belt wind-upmechanism, when the seat belt tongue is in close proximity to the seatbelt buckle. In addition, a solenoid located in the seat belt buckle isused to release the seat belt tongue from the buckle. When the vehicletransmission is in the “park” position, the ignition is turned off, andthe key is removed, the solenoid is energized to pull down the catch inthe seat belt buckle, thus releasing the seat belt tongue. Further, aswitch may be conveniently located in the vehicle such as on the seatbelt buckle, near the window, on the door, or the like so that thesolenoid can be activated and the seat belt assembly may be released toallow a passenger to exit the vehicle without turning the vehicleignition off.

In another embodiment, the housing of the seat belt buckle may be formedwith a funnel region adjacent its open end. The funnel region may have asubstantially fluted or cone shape that opens outwardly to assist inaligning the seat belt tongue with the opening of the housing, andthereafter, in engaging the seat belt tongue with the latch mechanism.In this manner, initial contact between the seat belt tongue and thefunnel region of the housing tends to direct or channel the end of theseat belt tongue downwardly into the housing for engagement of the seatbelt tongue with the latch mechanism within the housing. Also, the seatbelt buckle may additionally include a manual release element inaddition to the automatic release.

Further, the seat belt buckle may include one or more illuminated areas.The illuminated areas may be formed as portions of the funnel region ofthe buckle, the manual release, and/or the switch of the buckle assistmechanism, and may include one or more lighting devices such as lightemitting diodes (“LED's”), for example, which are illuminated by powersupplied from the battery of the automobile. In one embodiment, theilluminated area of the funnel region of the seat belt buckle isilluminated upon passenger entry into the vehicle to assist thepassenger in visually locating the seat belt buckle and/or the switch ofthe buckle assist mechanism for engaging the seat belt tongue with thebuckle. The illuminated areas of the funnel region of the buckle and/orthe switch of the buckle assist mechanism may be controlled by a switchon the vehicle door, for example. After the seat belt tongue has beenengaged with the seat belt buckle and/or after the vehicle is started,the illuminated area may turn off. In another embodiment, theilluminated area of the manual release is illuminated when the vehicleis in a parked position or when the engine has been turned off, toassist a passenger in visually locating the manual release of the seatbelt buckle for disengaging the seat belt tongue from the buckle.

In one form thereof, the present invention provides a seat belt buckleassembly, including a housing including a first end having an opening; afunnel region disposed adjacent the first end of the housing, the funnelregion substantially aligned with the opening; and a latch mechanismdisposed within the housing.

In another form thereof, the present invention provides a seat beltbuckle assembly, including a housing including a first end having anopening; at least one lighting element disposed proximate the first end;and a latch mechanism disposed within the housing.

In another form thereof, the present invention provides a seat beltbuckle assembly, including a seat belt including a tongue; a housingincluding a first end having an opening; a latch mechanism disposedwithin the housing; and a latch assist assembly, including first andsecond switches; and an electromagnet operable to move the latchmechanism to a disengaged position with respect to the seat belt tongueupon actuation of the first switch prior to insertion of the seat belttongue into the buckle assembly, and operable to allow the latchmechanism to move to an engaged position with respect to the seat belttongue upon actuation of the second switch after insertion of the seatbelt tongue into the buckle assembly.

The present invention comprises, in one form thereof, a seat beltfastening apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus including a tongue anda buckle. The buckle includes an open aperture and a latch with thelatch disposed in the aperture. The buckle further includes a firstelectromagnet, the first electromagnet operative to generate anelectromagnetic flux field for attracting the tongue into the aperturewhen the tongue is disposed in the vicinity of the aperture to cause thelatch to retain the tongue in the buckle. A release mechanism isoperatively associated with the latch. The release mechanism includes asecond electromagnet and a switch, whereby when the switch is closed thesecond electromagnet is energized and the latch is moved to release thetongue from the buckle.

The present invention comprises, in another form thereof, a seat beltfastening apparatus for a vehicle. The apparatus includes a tongue and abuckle. The buckle includes an open aperture and a latch with the latchdisposed in the aperture. The buckle further includes a firstelectromagnet and a first switch for energizing the first electromagnetto thereby generate an electromagnetic flux field for attracting thetongue into the aperture when the tongue is disposed in the vicinity ofthe aperture to cause the latch to retain the tongue in the buckle. Arelease mechanism is operatively associated with the latch. The releasemechanism includes a second electromagnet and a second switch, wherebywhen the second switch is closed the second electromagnet is energizedand the latch is moved to release the tongue from the buckle.

An advantage of the present invention is that both the wide mouthopening of the seat belt buckle and the electromagnet assist in bucklingthe seat belt for those who have difficulty with buckling a seat belt.

A further advantage of the present invention is that the seat beltassembly may be automatically released either when the vehicletransmission is placed in the “park” position, the ignition is turnedoff, and the key is removed from the ignition, or alternatively when arelease button is activated allowing a seat occupant to exit the vehiclewithout requiring the ignition to be turned off.

An additional advantage of the present invention is that the automaticrelease of the seat belt helps in unbuckling children seated in the rearof the vehicle or in child safety seats, and further prevents a childfrom releasing his own seat belt while the vehicle is being operated.

A further advantage of the invention is that by making the seat belttongue relatively large and rounded and by providing a seat belt bucklewith a wide opening, it is relatively easy for an occupant of theautomobile to locate the opening of the buckle and to insert the tongueinto the buckle opening. Further, by providing an electromagneticcircuit, the tongue is then automatically guided into the opening andlatched in the buckle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention,and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and theinvention itself will be better understood by reference to the followingdescription of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of one seat in a vehicle havinga seat belt assembly in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view a seat belt buckle of the seat belt assemblyof FIG. 1 showing the seat belt buckle in an unlatched position;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view a seat belt buckle of the seat belt assemblyof FIG. 1 showing the seat belt buckle in a latched position;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view a seat belt buckle of the seat belt assemblyof FIG. 1 after an automatic releasing device has been activated and theseat belt tongue has been released; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the electrical circuit used to operate amagnetic used to assist with buckling the seat belt and an automaticrelease mechanism of the seat belt assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a rear vehicle door having a releaseswitch mounted in the door frame thereof;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the seat belt tongue of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a seat belttongue according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of the tongue of FIG. 8 taken alonglines 9-9;

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of the tongue of FIG. 8 taken alonglines 10-10;

FIG. 11 is a top view of a seat belt buckle which matches the contoursof the seat belt tongue of FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is an alternative embodiment of the tongue of FIG. 8;

FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view of the tongue of FIG. 12 taken alonglines 13-13 thereof;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a seat belt buckle according to anotherembodiment;

FIG. 15 is a top plan view of the seat belt buckle of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a sectional view of the seat belt buckle;

FIG. 17 is another sectional view of the seat belt buckle, taken alongline 17-17 of FIG. 15; and

FIG. 18 is a view of a modified version of the circuit of FIG. 5.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views. Although the exemplifications set outherein illustrate embodiments of the invention, the embodimentsdisclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or to be construed aslimiting the scope of the invention to the precise forms disclosed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Vehicle manufacturers are typically required to supply each seat invehicles with a seat belt assembly. A vehicle includes at least frontdriver and passenger seats and often includes rear passenger seats.Referring to FIG. 1, vehicle 10 includes driver seat 12 having seat beltassembly 14. Even though driver seat 12 is the only vehicle seatillustrated, it is understood that seat belt assembly 14 may be modifiedto accommodate passengers seated in the other seats in vehicle 10.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 7, seat 12 is provided with seat belt assembly 14that includes catch assembly 18 which includes a seat belt tongue 16with an opening 64 formed therein. Seat belt tongue 16 is constructedfrom any suitable metal that has magnetic properties. Seat belt tongue16 is received in a female portion of assembly 14, namely, seat beltbuckle 20. Opening 64 is engaged by a latching mechanism, describedfurther hereinbelow, to secure seat belt assembly 14 about the seatoccupant. Seat belt tongue 16 is adjustably mounted on fabric seat beltstrap 22 of seat belt assembly 14 with the location of seat belt tongue16 dividing seat belt strap 22 into shoulder portion 24 and lap portion26.

Seat belt strap 22 is mounted to interior 28 of vehicle 10. Asillustrated in FIG. 1, strap 22 for the front seats 12 is positionedadjacent vehicle door 29 with end 30 of seat belt strap 22 being mountedabove seat 12. Seat belt strap end 30 is mounted in housing 32 and iscoiled about a belt wind-up mechanism (not shown). The belt wind-upmechanism allows seat belt strap 22 to be returned to the positionillustrated in FIG. 1 after use of seat belt assembly 14. In addition,the belt wind-up mechanism maintains a predetermined amount of tensionon seat belt strap 22 to prevent the strap from being loose around theseat occupant. The belt wind-up mechanism also has means for locking ifthe vehicle slows down quickly, to thereby prevent the seat occupantfrom falling forward, away from seat 12. The opposite end of seat beltstrap 22 (not shown) is rigidly fastened to vehicle interior 28 by anysuitable method including fasteners such as bolts.

Seat belt buckle 20 is rigidly mounted within vehicle 10 on an oppositeside of seat 12 from that of seat belt strap 22, thus allowing seat beltstrap 22 to be arranged across the seat occupant, and thereby securingthe seat occupant in the seat. Seat belt buckle 20 is commonly locatedagainst inside surface 26 of driver seat 12 or the passenger seat (notshown). When positioning seat belt buckle 20 in the rear seats, thebuckle is often mounted to extend from between the seat and backportions of the seats.

In order to engage seat belt assembly 14, the occupant pulls seat beltstrap 22 out of the belt wind-up mechanism and across his or her body byseat belt tongue 16. Seat belt tongue 16 is moved into proximity of seatbelt buckle 20 and seat belt tongue 16 is then captured within buckle 20as will be described further hereinbelow. Once seat belt tongue 16 isengaged in seat belt buckle 20, shoulder and lap portions 24 and 26 aredefined across the seat occupant's body.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, seat belt buckle 20 includes housing 34that houses buckle assist mechanism 36, latching mechanism 38, andautomatic release mechanism 40. Housing 34 is formed from any suitablematerial including plastic by a process such as injection molding.Housing 34 has a wide mouthed tapered opening 42 in one end thereof thatis shaped to easily receive seat belt tongue 16. The opposite end ofhousing 34 is also provided with an opening (not shown) through whichsecuring strap 44 passes to mount seat belt buckle 20 to vehicle 10.Securing strap 44 is generally constructed from the same fabric materialas strap 22. Strap 44 is looped over rod 46 of latching mechanism 38 andboth ends of strap 44 are secured to the frame of vehicle 10 by anysuitable means including fasteners such as bolts.

Seat belt buckle 20 is rigidly mounted in vehicle 10 in that itslocation adjacent seat 12 is fixed. The length of securing strap 44 isfixed, preventing the location of seat belt buckle 20 from being variedrelative to seat 12.

Buckle assist mechanism 36, latching mechanism 38, and auto releasemechanism 40 are all provided to simplify the use of seat belt assembly14. Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, buckle assist mechanism 36 includeselectromagnet 48 positioned near wide mouth opening 42 of buckle housing34. Electromagnet 48 is energized by a switch located in the beltwind-up mechanism in strap housing 32 when seat belt tongue 16 is inclose proximity to seat belt buckle 20. Alternatively, electromagnetic48 may be energized by switch 49 located on seat belt buckle housing 34.Switch 49 is electrically connected to battery 51 of vehicle 10 bycircuit 80 illustrated in FIG. 5. It is understood that the energizationof electromagnet 48 may be accomplished by various methods includingmounting the switch elsewhere in the vehicle, i.e. on the vehicle door,dashboard, or the like. Further, electromagnet 48 may be energized byoperation of the vehicle. Energization of electromagnet 48 createsmagnetic flux 50 (FIG. 2) that attracts metal seat belt tongue 16 whentongue 16 is in close proximity to seat belt buckle 20. Magnetic flux 50draws seat belt tongue 16 toward seat belt buckle 20 and, in combinationwith sloping surfaces 52 of latching mechanism 38, directs seat belttongue 16 into a slot 68 of buckle 20.

Once seat belt tongue 16 is received in seat belt buckle 20, latchingmechanism 38 operates to secure seat belt assembly 14 about a seatoccupant until automatic or manual release of the mechanism. Latchingmechanism 38 includes a catch or latch 54 that is pivotally mounted onrod 46 that is also used to mount seat belt buckle 20 in vehicle 10.Latch 54 is constructed from any suitable material that is able towithstand forces exerted by the seat occupant including forces appliedto straps 22 if the vehicle slows down quickly. Latch 54 includes mainbody portion 56 having aperture 58 formed therein to receive rod 46.Integrally formed with main body portion 56 is extension portion 60 thathas hook portion 62 located the end thereof. Latch 54 is biased byspring 53 into an initial position shown in FIG. 2 and a latchedposition shown in FIG. 4. One end of spring 53 engages inner surface 59of buckle housing 34 and the opposite end of spring 53 is received inaperture 61 formed in extension portion 60 to maintain the firstposition of latch 54 and return latch 54 to the latched position. Hookportion 62 is received in opening 64 formed in seat belt tongue 16 withlower surface 63 of hook portion 62 being in abutting contact surface 65of opening 64 (FIG. 3). Latch 54 has then captured and releasablysecured seat belt tongue 16 into secure engagement with seat belt buckle20.

Automatic release mechanism 40 is located within seat belt bucklehousing 34 and is operably coupled to latching mechanism 38. Automaticrelease mechanism 40 includes releasing member 66 that is slidablymounted within buckle housing 34. The outer dimensions of releasingmember 66 are smaller than the inner dimensions of electromagnet 48 suchthat releasing member 66 slides within electromagnet 48. Releasingmember 66 has sloping surface 52 defined at the upper end thereof.Sloping surfaces 52 help to direct seat belt tongue 16 into slot 68located in releasing member 66. Seat belt tongue 16 is positioned inslot 68 and advanced therein until tongue opening 64 is captured by hookportion 62 of latch 54.

Automatic release mechanism 40 further includes solenoid 70 located inthe lower portion of seat belt buckle housing 34, beneath releasingmember 66. Solenoid 70 is operatively coupled to releasing member 66 bylinkage 72. Linkage 72 is fixedly secured to at one end 74 to releasingmember 66 by any suitable fastening method. Opposite end portion 77 oflinkage 72 is slidably received in slot 75 formed in solenoid 70.Solenoid 70 is also electrically connected to vehicle battery 51 bycircuit 80 (FIG. 5). This electrical connection allows seat belt tongue16 to be automatically released under specific vehicle conditions orupon actuation as will be described further hereinbelow.

The specific, predetermined vehicle conditions that allow solenoid 70 tobe energized include the vehicle transmission being in the “park”position, the ignition being turned off, and the key being removed.Referring to FIG. 5, each condition is represented by a switch; ignitioncondition switch 90, transmission condition switch 92, and key conditionswitch 94. These switches 90, 92, and 94 are open until the vehicleconditions are met. When all three switches 90, 92, and 94 are closed,solenoid 70 is energized. The energization of solenoid 70 causessolenoid 70 to pull down releasing member 66 in seat belt buckle 20, andrelease seat belt tongue 16.

Automatic release mechanism 40 further includes a button or switch 78(FIGS. 1 and 5) that allows for manual actuation of mechanism 40 if thespecified vehicle conditions for automatic release of mechanism 40 arenot met. Switch 78 may be located anywhere within vehicle 10 such asbeing mounted on seat belt buckle housing 34 with switch 49, near thevehicle window on the door (FIG. 1), on the vehicle dashboard, or thelike. Operation of switch 78 allows solenoid 70 to be activatedmanually. The manual actuation of solenoid 70 releases seat belt tongue16 to allow a passenger to exit vehicle 10 without turning the vehicleignition off.

In alternative embodiments, children located in the rear seats may havea tendency to remove their seat belts when the vehicle is beingoperated. In order to prevent this scenario, switch 78 for the rear seatbelt release may be located in the front seat of the vehicle as shown inFIG. 1, thus preventing children from prematurely releasing the seatbelt. In addition, the rear seat belts may be designed such that theonly way to release the seat belt is by depressing switch 78 in effortto prevent children from releasing their own seat belts.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a further embodiment may include positioninga release switch 98 in the rear of the vehicle such that the switch isonly accessible when rear vehicle door 100 is open. In this embodiment,switch 98 is mounted in rear door jamb 102. This prevents children fromreleasing their seat belts while the vehicle is moving or before anadult enters the back seat to assist the child. In addition, the switchmay assist in unbuckling a child from a child safety seat.

As shown in FIG. 5, circuit 80 is also provided with timer actuatedswitch 96 which operates to open the circuit and deenergize solenoid 70after a predetermined length of time. This prevents solenoid 70 frombeing continuously energized after seat belt tongue 16 has been releasedfrom seat belt buckle 20. Switch 96 is normally closed. However, whenvehicle 10 is parked with the engine off for a predetermined amount oftime in a parking lot, garage, or the like, timer operated switch 96will open and deenergize solenoid 70. Switch 96 will close again whenthe vehicle engine is started.

Even though circuit 80 illustrates three possible scenarios in whichseat belt assembly 14 is automatically released, it is understood thatany combination of conditions may be used to activate automatic releasemechanism 40.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the operation of seat belt assembly 14will be described. Buckling assist mechanism 36 includes electromagnet48 that is energized by switch 49, or by a switch in the belt wind-upmechanism located in strap end housing 32, when seat belt tongue 16 isin close proximity to seat belt buckle 20. Magnetic flux 50, created byelectromagnet 48, draws seat belt tongue 16 toward seat belt buckle 20.Sloping surfaces 52, in combination with magnetic flux 50, direct end 84of seat belt tongue 16 into slot 68 defined in releasing member 66 forreceiving seat belt tongue 16. As seat belt tongue 16 is drawn deeperinto seat belt buckle 20, end 84 of tongue 16 engages hook portion 62 oflatch 54. The progression of tongue 16 into buckle 20 applies a forceagainst hook portion 62 causing latch 54 to pivot in a clockwisedirection against the bias of spring 53, away from its initial positionshown in FIG. 2. Once hook portion 62 and tongue opening 64 are aligned,latch 54 returns to its initial position under the bias of spring 53 andengages tongue opening 64 (FIG. 3).

Automatic releasing mechanism 40 operates when solenoid 70 is energized.The energization of solenoid 70 causes linkage 72 to be drawndownwardly. Due to the rigid connection between linkage 72 and releasingmember 66, the downward movement of linkage 72 also moves releasingmember 66 in a downward direction. As can be seen in FIG. 4, slantedsurface 86 of releasing member 66 contacts upper surface 88 of hookportion 62. As releasing member 66 continues moving in a downwarddirection, hook portion 62 and thus latch 54 is pivoted in a clockwisedirection, disengaging hook portion 62 from tongue opening 64. Seat belttongue 16 is then free to be removed from seat belt buckle 20. The beltwind-up mechanism located in strap end housing 32 retracts strap 22causing strap 22 to return to its unused, storage position (FIG. 1).

As described hereinabove, the embodiment of seat belt tongue 16 as shownin FIG. 7 comprises a generally flat stamped out metal seat belt tongue16. To further improve the ease with which a seat belt tongue 16 may beinserted into a seat belt buckle 20, the alternative embodiments ofFIGS. 8-13 are provided. As seen in FIG. 8, a body portion 112 of a seatbelt tongue 16 is substantially longer than that shown in FIG. 7. Thetotal length of the seat belt tongue 16 may be as long as four or fiveinches for convenience in grasping the tongue 16. Further, the end ortip 114 of seat belt tongue 16 is rounded. As seen in cross section inFIG. 9, body 112 as well as the portion of tip 114 adjacent to body 112is rounded as seen in cross section in FIG. 9. While the shape of thetongue 16 is not actually elliptical, as shown in FIG. 9, tongue sides116 and 118 are parallel to each other. Various other shapes may beused. The shape is intended to be substantial in size for ease ingrasping the tongue. Further, the end 120 of tip 114 is also rounded andtapered as can be seen in FIGS. 8 and 10. Again, the object of therounded tapered shape of tip 114 is so that the tip 114 will easilyslide into aperture 68 of the seat belt buckle and engage latch 54.

FIG. 11 shows a top view of a buckle 20 wherein the aperture matches theshape of tongue 16 of FIG. 8. As can be seen in FIG. 11 wherein theparts are numbered identically to the numbers shown in buckle 20 ofFIGS. 2-4, the shape of aperture 68 matches that of the shape of tongue16.

Body 112 of tongue 16 may be made of any suitable metal or plasticmaterial, such as, for instance, aluminum or a plastic which is suitablystrong and which may be molded. Tip 114 may be made of a ferrous,magnetic, metal whereby tip 114 is drawn into buckle 20 by the magneticfield generated by electromagnet 48. Tongue 16 of FIG. 8 is very easy tograsp as it is quite substantial in size. Since the tapered aperture inbuckle 20, shown in FIG. 11, is quite large also, one merely has tobring tongue 16 in proximity of aperture 68, which is easy to do due tothe size and shape of tongue 16 and aperture 68 of buckle 20, to allowthe magnetic field 50 to attract tip 114 and draw it into aperture 68 ofbuckle 20.

As can be seen, an aperture 64 is provided in body 112 of tongue 16.This aperture is similar to the aperture shown in tongue 16 of FIGS. 1and 7. However, it is noted that instead of an aperture 64, a groove 122surrounding body 16 could be provided to permit latch 54 to capturetongue 16 in buckle 20. An embodiment with a groove 122 is shown inFIGS. 12 and 13 which, in all other respects, is identical to theembodiment of FIG. 8. By providing the groove, which surrounds theentire tongue 16, the buckle can be inserted in two orientations wherebythe user does not have to line it up in such a way that the front end114 of the tongue is properly aligned with the buckle. In other words,the tongue can be oriented either way as latch 54 will always catchgroove 122.

Referring to FIGS. 14-17, another embodiment of a seat belt buckleaccording to the present invention is shown. Seat belt buckle 150includes a number of components which are similar or identical to thecomponents of buckle 20 shown in FIGS. 1-4 and described above, andidentical reference numerals will be used to similar and/or identicalcomponents therebetween. Also, except as described below, the generaloperation of seat belt buckle 150 is substantially identical to that ofseat belt buckle 20, and therefore, many of the specific details of theoperation of seat belt buckle 150 need not be further specificallydiscussed. Buckle 150 of FIGS. 14-17 may include buckle assist mechanism36, latching mechanism 38, and auto release mechanism 40 described abovewith respect to buckle 20 shown in FIGS. 1-4.

The upper, open end 42 of housing 34 of buckle 150 includes funnelregion 152, which may be formed integrally with housing 34 oralternatively, may be formed as a separate component which is attachedto housing 34. Funnel region 152 at least partially surrounds the openend 42 of housing 34 and is shaped as an outwardly-opening, fluted orsubstantially cone-shaped region, as shown in FIGS. 14-16, with an innersurface 153 that converges or tapers inwardly toward the interior ofbuckle 150. Funnel region 152 may extend around the open end of housing34 through an arc of at least a 180°, or alternatively, through a lesserarc of 145° or 90° or a greater arc of 225° or 270°, for example. As maybe seen from FIG. 16, the lower end of funnel region 152 which isconnected to housing 34 has a diameter substantially equal to thediameter of the open end of housing 34, while the opposite, upper end offunnel region 152 which is spaced distally from housing 34 has adiameter which is greater than, and progressively increases as sameextends away from, the open end of housing 34. As shown in FIGS. 14, 16,and 17, funnel region 152 functions to assist in aligning the seat belttongue 16 with the open end of housing 34 and thereafter in engagingseat belt tongue 16 with latching mechanism 38. Specifically, anyinitial contact between seat belt tongue 16 and funnel region 152 ofhousing 34 tends to direct or channel seat belt tongue 16 downwardlyinto housing 34 for engagement of seat belt tongue 16 with latchingmechanism 38 within housing 34. Also, as shown in FIGS. 14-17, seat belttongue 16 may be formed with an enlarged, partially arcuate-shaped endthat corresponds to the shape of funnel region 152 near the upper end 42of buckle 150 such that funnel region 152 and upper end 42 of buckle 150have cooperating geometries.

Buckle 150 additionally includes manual release element 154 in additionto the automatic release mechanism 40 described above. Manual releaseelement 154 may be formed as an extension portion of release member 66,such as a laterally-projecting tongue 156 disposed exteriorly of housing34 that may be manually depressed by a vehicle passenger to shift ortranslate release member 66 downwardly to thereby release seat belttongue 16 in the manner described above.

Further, seat belt buckle 150 may include one or more illuminated areas,which may be formed as portions of funnel region 152, manual releaseelement 154, and/or switch 49 of buckle assist mechanism 36, forexample. The illuminated areas may, in one embodiment, be formed as oneor more lighting elements such as incandescent elements or lightemitting diodes (“LED's”), for example, which are illuminated by powersupplied from battery 51 of the automobile (FIG. 5). The light that isemitted by the devices may be of any suitable color, such as white,blue, yellow, orange, or red, and may be of a relatively low intensityto provide passive, soft illumination as described below.

As shown in FIGS. 14-17, funnel region 152 includes an arrangement ofthree lighting elements 158 mounted within funnel region and spacedalong an arc to thereby illuminate funnel region 152 and the open end ofhousing 34 of buckle 150. A lead 160 extends from lighting elements 158downwardly through a channel 162 formed in housing 34. Manual releaseelement 154 includes a lighting element 164 mounted therein toilluminate same, and a lead 166 extends from lighting element 164through a channel 168 formed in housing 34. Switch 49 of buckle assistmechanism 36 includes lighting element 170 therearound to which lead 160is connected. Leads 160 and 166 are connected to the electricalcircuitry of the automobile (FIG. 5), including battery 51.

In use, referring to FIG. 14 as seat belt tongue 16 is brought close tothe opening of buckle, either manually or with the assistance of themagnetic flux of buckle assist mechanism 36, seat belt tongue 16, if notdirectly entering housing, will contact funnel region 152, which willphysically guide tongue 16 downwardly into buckle 150 and thereby intothe slot of buckle 150 for engagement with latching mechanism 38 in themanner described in detail above. A passenger may release latchingmechanism 38 by depressing tongue 156 of manual release element 154downwardly toward housing 34 to in turn translate release member 66downwardly within housing 34 and thereby release seat belt tongue 16 asdescribed above.

In one embodiment, lighting elements 158 of funnel region 152 and/orlighting element 170 of switch 49 of buckle assist mechanism 36 of theseat belt buckle 150 are illuminated upon passenger entry into thevehicle to assist the passenger in visually locating seat belt buckle150 for engaging seat belt tongue 16 with buckle 150 and/or in visuallylocating switch 49 of buckle assist mechanism 36. With reference toFIGS. 5 and 6, lighting elements 158 and/or 170 may be controlled byswitch 98 on vehicle door 100, for example. After seat belt tongue 16has been engaged with seat belt buckle 150 and/or after the vehicle isstarted, lighting devices 158 may turn off, or may be controlled by asuitable timer mechanism (not shown) to turn off at a designated timeafter one of the foregoing events.

In another embodiment, lighting element 164 of manual release element154 is illuminated when the vehicle is in a parked position or when theengine has been turned off, to assist a passenger in visually locatingmanual release element 154 of seat belt buckle 150 for disengaging seatbelt tongue 16 from buckle 150.

In this manner, illumination of the illuminated areas of buckle 150 aidsthe vehicle passenger with visually identifying the location of buckle150, switch 49, and/or manual release element 154 within the vehicle,such as when operating the vehicle at night.

Also, with reference to FIGS. 16 and 18, seat belt buckle 150 mayinclude a latch assist function, described below. In one embodiment,when switch 49 buckle assist mechanism 36 is depressed to activatebuckle assist mechanism 36 in the manner described above, solenoid 70 ofauto release mechanism 40 may be energized, such as via line 178provided in the circuit of FIG. 18, to translate release member 66downwardly within housing 34 in the same manner in the operation of autorelease mechanism 40 described above. In this manner, seat belt tongue16 may be inserted fully into housing 34 without engaging latch 54 oflatch mechanism 38 such that latch 54 and its spring 53 do not provideresistance to the insertion of seat belt tongue 16 for easier engagementof seat belt tongue 16 with buckle 150.

After seat belt tongue 16 is inserted fully into housing 34, seat belttongue detection sensor 180, which may be a known type of magnetic orother proximity sensor, detects same the presence of seat belt tongue16. Seat belt tongue detection sensor 180 is connected to switch 182 ofFIG. 18 via lead 184 (FIGS. 16 and 18) and, upon detection of seat belttongue 16 by seat belt detection sensor 180, switch 182 is opened tode-energize solenoid 70, thereby causing the solenoid spring or otherreturn mechanism associated with solenoid 70 and auto release mechanism40 to bias or move release member 66 upwardly within housing 34 toengage latch 54 with seat belt tongue 16 via the bias of spring 53. Inthis manner, the latching mechanism 38 of buckle 150 will automaticallycapture and latch seat belt tongue 16 upon opening of seat belt tonguedetection switch 180. Also, after seat belt tongue 16 is inserted fullyinto housing 34, opening of seat belt tongue detection switch 182 (FIGS.16 and 18) may also de-activate buckle assist mechanism 36.

Referring to FIG. 18, an on/off switch 186 may be incorporated into eachbuckle 20 or alternatively, into a suitable location around thedashboard or door of the automobile to disable the solenoid 70 ofautomatic release mechanism 40 for any particular buckle 20. Forexample, it may be desirable to disable the automatic release mechanism40 for buckles 20 in the rear seats of an automobile where children mayride and/or for buckles 20 which are used to secure child seats withinthe automobile.

While this invention has been described as having an exemplary design,the present invention may be further modified within the spirit andscope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended tocover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using itsgeneral principles. Further, this application is intended to cover suchdepartures from the present disclosure as come within known or customarypractice in the art to which this invention pertains.

1. A seat belt buckle assembly comprising: a housing including a firstend having an opening; a funnel region having a generally curvedprofile, the funnel region comprising: a lower funnel end disposedadjacent said opening of said housing; and an upper funnel end spacedfrom said housing, said lower funnel end of said funnel regionsubstantially aligned with said opening and having a diameter which isgreater than said opening in said housing, a diameter of said funnelregion progressively increases as said funnel region extends away fromsaid opening of said first end of said housing, so that said upperfunnel end has a diameter greater than said diameter of said lowerfunnel end; and a latch mechanism disposed within said housing.
 2. Theseat belt buckle assembly of claim 1, wherein said funnel region extendsaround said opening of said first end of said housing through an arc ofat least 180°.
 3. The seat belt buckle assembly of claim 1, wherein saidfunnel region includes at least one lighting element.
 4. The seat beltbuckle assembly of claim 3, wherein said at least one lighting elementis a light emitting diode.
 5. The seat belt buckle assembly of claim 1,further comprising a manual release element disposed adjacent saidopening of said first end of said housing.
 6. The seat belt buckleassembly of claim 1, wherein said latch mechanism comprises a releasemechanism comprising: a release member slidably mounted within saidhousing, said release member movable between a lower release positionand an upper lock position; and a solenoid operable to move said releasemember between said upper and lower positions.
 7. The seat belt buckleassembly of claim 1, wherein said latch mechanism comprises a releasemechanism comprising: a release member slidably mounted within saidhousing, said release member movable between a lower release positionand an upper lock position, said release member including an extensionsized and positioned to facilitate manually moving said release memberbetween said upper and lower positions.
 8. A seat belt buckle assemblycomprising: a housing including a first end having an opening; a funnelregion disposed adjacent said first end of said housing, said funnelregion substantially aligned with said opening; a latch mechanismdisposed within said housing; and a magnetic buckle assist mechanismdisposed within said housing and including at least one selectivelyenergizable electromagnet.
 9. A seat belt buckle assembly comprising: ahousing including a first end having an opening; a funnel regiondisposed adjacent said first end of said housing, said funnel regionsubstantially aligned with said opening; at least one lighting elementmounted within said funnel region, disposed proximate said first end ofsaid housing and substantially aligned with said opening; and a latchmechanism disposed within said housing.
 10. The seat belt buckleassembly of claim 9, further comprising a manual release elementdisposed adjacent said opening of said first end of said housing. 11.The seat belt buckle assembly of claim 10, wherein said at least onelighting element is associated with said manual release element.
 12. Theseat belt buckle assembly of claim 9, wherein said at least one lightingelement is a light emitting diode.
 13. The seat belt buckle assembly ofclaim 9, wherein said latch mechanism comprises a release mechanismcomprising: a release member slidably mounted within said housing, saidrelease member movable between a lower release position and an upperlock position; and a solenoid operable to move said release memberbetween said upper and lower positions.
 14. The seat belt buckleassembly of claim 9, wherein said latch mechanism comprises a releasemechanism comprising: a release member slidably mounted within saidhousing, said release member movable between a lower release positionand an upper lock position, said release member including an extensionsized and positioned to facilitate manually moving said release memberbetween said upper and lower positions.
 15. The seat belt buckleassembly of claim 9, wherein said seat belt buckle assembly is containedwithin a vehicle, said latch mechanism comprising a seat belt buckle andsaid opening is sized to receive a seat belt tongue engageable with saidseat belt buckle, the seat belt buckle assembly further comprising: acircuit operable to toggle said lighting elements between a lightedstate and a non-lighted state in response to one of i) engagement ofsaid seat belt tongue with said seat belt buckle, ii) passenger entryinto the vehicle, iii) the vehicle being placed into a parked position,and iv) an engine turned of the vehicle being switched between on andoff states.
 16. A seat belt buckle assembly comprising: a housingincluding a first end having an opening: at least one lighting elementdisposed proximate said first end; and a latch mechanism disposed withinsaid housing; and a magnetic buckle assist mechanism disposed withinsaid housing and including at least one selectively energizableelectromagnet.
 17. The seat belt buckle assembly of claim 16, whereinsaid at least one lighting element is associated with a switch of saidbuckle assist mechanism.
 18. A seat belt buckle assembly, comprising: aseat belt including a tongue; a housing including a first end having anopening; a latch mechanism disposed within said housing; and a latchassist assembly, comprising: first and second switches; and anelectromagnet operable to move said latch mechanism to a disengagedposition with respect to said seat belt tongue upon actuation of saidfirst switch prior to insertion of said seat belt tongue into saidbuckle assembly, and operable to allow said latch mechanism to move toan engaged position with respect to said seat belt tongue upon actuationof said second switch after insertion of said seat belt tongue into saidbuckle assembly.
 19. The seat belt buckle assembly of claim 18, whereinat least one of said first and second switches comprises one of a seatbelt detection sensor and a buckle assist mechanism switch.
 20. The seatbelt buckle assembly of claim 18, wherein said electromagnet comprises asolenoid.